1. Field
The invention is in the field of play equipment and particularly teeter totters and merry-go-rounds or turntables.
2. State of the Art
Teeter Totters or seesaws have long been known. U.S. Design Pat. Nos. D512,746 and D512,747 show portable teeter totters having a supporting base that can be placed on any flat surface. Merry-go-rounds or turntables have also been long known and take various forms. Merry-go-rounds have been constructed as flat discs rotatably mounted on a central shaft which supports the merry-go-round and having handles so users can push the merry-go-round to get it spinning and then jump on to ride. Other merry-go-rounds have supports extending from a center shaft with seats at the ends of the supports on which users can sit. Such merry-go-rounds usually have movable handles which users move back and forth to cause rotation of the merry-go-round. Examples of these are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,560,703 and 4,982,949. Similar merry-go-rounds have been available with supports extending at an overhead level with swing type seats hanging from the supports so that a user sits in the swing seats as the merry-go-round rotates. Examples of this type of merry-go-round is shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,709,606 and 6,319,135.
There have also been several embodiments of play equipment which combine the up and down movements of a teeter totter and the rotational movement of a merry-go-round. U.S. Pat. No. 1,659,735 shows a teeter totter device mounted by a ball joint to a vertical support post so that ends of the device can move up and down as a teeter totter and the device can also be rotated as a merry-go-round. Other embodiments of such a combination device are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 942,041, 1,502,746, 2,190,795, and 2,835,491.
While play equipment combining the movements of a teeter totter and a merry-go-round are known, there is always a need for new play equipment, particularly equipment that provides new play features, that is easy to assemble and set up, is portable, and/or can be used both outdoors and indoors.